Sri Lanka’s tenth Parliament to welcome over 150 fresh faces as MPs

The 2024 parliamentary election has marked a historic shift in Sri Lanka’s legislature, with nearly 150 out of the 196 elected Members of Parliament (MPs) being newcomers. 

A notable 146 MPs elected to the Parliament this year are first-time representatives in Parliament.

The National People’s Power (NPP) emerged as the dominant force, securing 141 parliamentary seats at the district level following a landslide victory in the 2024 General Election, which was held on 14 November. Among these, 130 MPs are reported to be newcomers to the Parliament.

The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) won 35 parliamentary seats, with eight of them being new MPs. In contrast, 27 of its elected members have previous served as parliamentarians.

The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), which witnessed a sharp decline in its public support, has only one new MP in its ranks this year. Similarly, the Ilankei Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) secured six seats, three of which were won by new MPs. The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) also saw one new member elected to Parliament.  

Meanwhile, the New Democratic Front (NDF) secured three MP seats in this year’s election, all of whom are former Parliamentarians.  

In addition to the elected MPs, 29 national list seats are yet to be finalized, with reports indicating that the majority of these appointees will also be newcomers as the Parliament prepares to welcome over 150 first-time MPs.